A Big Thank You!

                I’ve been suffering lately from a terrible sickness.  You might have caught this.  It’s going around.  The symptoms are total misery, grumpiness, agitation, dissatisfaction and complaining.  I’ve had a bad case of jealousy.  And it’s been really hard to recover.  I’ve been disgruntled about every hardship because I keep thinking of someone else who has it easier.  Even the choices I’ve made for myself start to make me angry because other people are making easier choices.  They should have it just as hard.

                But as Thanksgiving draws near and I sit with my daughter and talk about the meaning of the holiday, I’m realizing that my illness needs an antidote.  And the antidote is right there in the word, thanks.  If I stop the storyline in my head and just sit and look around, I have so very much that deserves my gratitude.  And the jealousy is just discounting the wonder of my life. 

                Yet life is really just so wonderful.  There are so many things in life to savor and appreciate.  And nothing I can add can increase the joy I receive from being with my three crazy kids.  As Wendell Berry says in his poem “The Wild Geese,” “what we need is here.  And we pray, not for new earth or heaven, but to be quiet in heart, and in eye clear.  What we need is here.”  I can mumble complaints about what I don’t have, or, with same breath, I can say thank you that I have all that I need.

                We at The Fork & Spoon want to take this time to say a special thank you to all of our wonderful customers.  We know you have a choice when dining out and we thank you for joining us.  We hope to see you again soon!

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

 (Don't tell them it's healthy!)

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon flax seed
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions:  

Prep time, 10 min.  Total time: 20 min.

1. 1Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, flaxseed, wheat germ and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.
2. 2Add in the egg, milk, oil and pumpkin. Depending on how thick you like the consistency of your batter, you may want to add a little more milk or water to thin it out as needed.
3. 3Heat electric griddle to 375 degrees. Spray with Pam cooking spray.
4. 4Ladle spoonfuls of batter onto griddle. Once you see bubbles starting to form, flip the pancakes over but do not pat them down! They won't be as fluffy if you pat them.
5. 5Cook until lightly brown on both sides.
6. 6Serve with fruit, syrup, or honey as desired. (Put servings of syrup in old cough syrup cups to portion it and reduce sugar!)

Sneak in the Veggies!

                Based on everything I’ve read and heard from other parents, getting kids to eat vegetables is one of the most challenging things we do.  I know my three have made a pact not to eat broccoli, spinach or green beans.  They love orange veggies, but green has been voted out.

                Therefore, based I’ve adapted to sneaking vegetables into our food, one way or another.  Here are some of the ways I do it.  You can check out the blog for more extensive recipes and tips.

1. I mix broccoli puree in with my macaroni and cheese sauce.  I make a white sauce and then add cheese and puree.  The broccoli taste goes well with cheddar, and they gobble it up!  If your kids hate the broccoli flavor, try an orange vegetable instead. 
2. I mix spinach puree into scrambled eggs.  This is my version of “green eggs.”  My kids love eggs, so they think it’s hilarious to eat them green. 
3. I mix pumpkin into pancake batter.  Add a little pumpkin pie spice, and you feel like you’re eating dessert for breakfast.  Use whole wheat flour and portion the syrup in old cough syrup cups so they don’t get too much sugar.
4. I mix vegetable purees into pasta sauce.  The tartness of the tomatoes helps cover up the flavor and color of the vegetables. Put the sauce on whole wheat pasta or pizza dough.  Add cheese.  Devour.

Once you start doing this, you will come up with all sorts of creative ways to sneak in those veggies.  It only takes an hour or so to puree a bunch of different vegetables.  Then you can freeze them in ice cube trays for easy pre-portioned availability!

Bring on the Pumpkins!

I love fall.  I love the crisp air and the changing leaves.  Most of all, I love fall produce.  Bring on the squashes, greens, apples and sweet potatoes.  And bring on the pumpkins!  The best part is, these fruits and vegetables are packed with cancer-fighting carotenoids which may inhibit cancer cell growth, work as antioxidants and improve immune response.  They are also delicious.

As we dive full force into Pumpkin Show and eat our hearts out with all the amazing pumpkin recipes, let us not forget the humble yet extremely tasty pumpkin seed or pepita.  Pumpkin seeds pack a strong nutritional punch.  They are a great source of protein and many essential minerals.  They also provide polyunsaturated fatty acids.  They are also nutty and yummy.

In Mexico, the historical origin of the pumpkin, pepitas are prized little gems that are used in a variety of sauces and soups.  There is a type of sauce or mole called Pipian that features these might green kernels of goodness.  It is creamy without having dairy.  It is rich without adding too much extra fat.  And, what’s best, I adapted a recipe from Rick Bayless that uses store-bought salsa that can be made in half an hour and may just get your kids to eat something green!

Check out my blog to read the full recipe and some of the tips I have about where to get the pepitas and salsa and how to adapt the recipe for picky little finger feeders.  I also included a recipe for roasting your own pumpkin seeds, if you’re feeling ambitious.  Happy Pumpkin Show!

Pink My Diet

Cancer is very prevalent in my family.  My mother is a breast cancer survivor.  And with October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month and my age creeping ever higher toward my mid-thirties (that can’t be right), I’m really starting to think seriously about breast cancer prevention.  This prompted a call to one of my best friends, a breast surgeon at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC.  “What can I do to help prevent breast cancer?”

My friend pointed me to several studies that link diet and weight directly to breast cancer risk.  First of all, I need to get myself down to a healthy weight.  That means losing 20 pounds (gulp).  Scientists believe that the estrogen production in fatty cells may be the connection between obesity and breast cancer risk.  Research shows that my diet needs to be about two-thirds plant based, with foods that have low calorie density and are low in fat.  I need to cut out a lot of red meat and limit my alcohol.  I guess it’s true, you are what you eat. 

The other main thing I need to do is GET MOVING!  Studies show that we need about 30 minutes of vigorous exercise every day to help keep breast cancer at bay.  If getting into those skinny jeans wasn’t a motivator, surely preventing cancer will get me up on my feet every day!

Come on in to The Fork & Spoon for our new lunch buffet.  Every Tuesday – Friday from 11 to 1 we’ve got soup, salad and pasta for $5.49!  Let’s start this healthy living together!

Garlic Refried Black Beans

Making homemade refried beans is really easy and so worth it.  You can control the taste and variety and amount of fat.  When I want to be indulgent, I use bacon grease, but usually I use Canola or Olive Oil to cook the beans.  This recipe is a variation on the "typical" refried beans.  I like to only use garlic to give the beans a real rich, creamy flavor.

Garlic Refried Black Beans

1 bag of dried black beans
4 - 5 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/4 C oil or bacon fat



Cook the dried beans according to the instructions.  Usually you have to soak them and then cook them for a couple hours.  Don't salt the water in the beginning.  It hardens the beans, and they take longer to cook.  Once they are soft, then you can add salt to taste.  Don't go overboard, just enough to add a little flavor.  Then puree the beans using an immersion or regular blender with some of the cooking liquid.  You want them to be a little runnier than what you want as refried beans.
After the beans are done, heat the oil or bacon fat to medium high in a pan and sauté the garlic and until they begin to get soft.  Be very careful not to cook the garlic too long because burnt garlic will make the beans taste bitter.  Take out all the garlic with a slotted spoon.  Add your pureed beans to the oil.  Cook the beans until they start to get nice and thick and you can smell that they are toasting a little bit.  Careful not to burn them!  

You can keep these beans in the fridge for a long time.  They are great in quesadillas, on tostadas and alongside some warm brown rice!

Fresh Tomato Salsa

You can make this as spicy as you like by increasing or decreasing the amount of chiles.  And the secret to great salsa is to not forget the salt!  Think of salsa as adding seasoning.  You want it to be a little salty.  Then, you'll want to put it on everything!  This is a good way to use all those late summer tomatoes from the garden!

Fresh Tomato Salsa

8 Juicy Red Tomatoes

1 small Onion

3 Cloves of Garlic

3 Tb finely chopped Cilantro

1 Serrano Chile

Salt

 Add all the ingredients to your food processor and puree.  Salt to taste!